Substitute
by DemonRogue
Summary: Lee knows he is a substitute


Disclaimer: I do not anything, but the plot of this story. Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and all of its characters.

Pairing: Lee/Saku, One-sided and slightly delusional Saku/Sasu  
Summary: Lee knows he is a substitute.  
Title: Substitute 

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Rock Lee knew that in the shadow of Sasuke's departure, he had become Sakura's substitution for him.

In the beginning it was just friends who hung out a lot and talked. She was still mourning Sasuke and he was too much infatuated with her to let her suffer, or to push for more. For two and half years he was nothing but Lee, the dependable friend who would always be there for her. And he would be, because he felt that she needed it and he wanted to be that person she turned to. He wanted to be a friend and he wanted more, but he had settled for friends.

He knew that, in a way, he was a substitution for Naruto too.

When Naruto came back from his training with Jiraiya-sama Sakura had slowly detached from him and latched onto the blond, because they had a shared connection when it came to their missing teammate. And Lee was okay with this, because he knew the importance and value of friends. He valued Neji and TenTen very greatly and would hate it if they weren't there for him when he needed them.

It didn't mean he wasn't a bit bitter, though.

When Sakura finally agreed to go on a date with him after three years of friendship and they slowly built a relationship from that first date, Lee knew that – secretly – Sakura wished he was Sasuke. She never said anything, but it was in the way her eyes would lose focus, or the times she appeared distance and far off. It was in her eyes and her body language that she wished he was someone, but that she was settling for him. Lee didn't necessarily like it, but he couldn't bring himself to make her sad, because she got that way every time Sasuke was mentioned.

When he told her he loved her for the first time, he had been all too aware of the slight flinch she gave at the words, but he had ignored it. He had to believe – and keep believing – that in time, she will come around to the fact that there are others besides Uchiha Sasuke. He had to believe that she would one day see him through Sasuke's shadow. He was there; he pled silently to her, see me. Don't see Sasuke. Lee knew, however, that his silent pleas weren't heard.

The first time they made love had been sweet and beautiful and everything Lee had imagined, except he hadn't expected Sakura to call out Sasuke's name. She hadn't even realized it and Lee hadn't the heart to tell her otherwise. He just had to hold on to that determined belief that she will one day see him instead of Sasuke. That, one day, she will see that he is there and willing to love her without restraint and that he can be what Sasuke never had been. He _wanted_ to be to her what the Uchiha never had been, because he loved her with all his heart, but he knew that a large part of _hers _still loved Sasuke.

And, as he lies beside her sleeping form in bed, simply gazing at her in all her beauty, Lee knows that it will take time before Sakura sees _him._ But he must continue to hope and believe, because that is all he has. All he grasps onto and holds are the shreds of his hope that one day – _one day_ – Sakura will look at him and actually _see_ him. That one day, the pink haired kunoichi will wake up and see him gazing at her and not show a brief moment of disappointment, before hiding it behind a smile.

Lee brushes a strand of pink from her face and leans down to kiss her lips gently. He feels her breath puff against his lips and gazes as her lashes flutter. Her eyes open and she looks at him and he ignores the flash of disappointment, because he has gotten so used to seeing it.

"Lee?" she says softly, looking up at him. He smiles down at her, pushing away all other thoughts. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Lee shakes his head and kisses her lips again. "No, Sakura-chan, nothing is wrong," he says. "I love you, you know," he adds softly, making sure his sincerity shows in his eyes. She smiles and it is a bit strained, but Lee doesn't mind too much. She leans up and kisses him back with a soft, chaste brush of lips to the corner of his mouth.

"I love you too, Lee," she says, and he struggles to ignore the slight hesitation in the words and does after a moment. She yawns delicately and looks at him with inquisitive green eyes. "Are you sure nothing is wrong?"

_He_ hesitates this time and wonders – not for the first time – if he should bring up the things he has noticed. He looks at her face closely for a long moment, before deciding he really can't see her sad. He is weak when it comes to her, because he loves her too much for his own good. He shakes his head and forces a smile.

"Nothing is wrong, really," he replies, lying back down and bringing her close to him. She snuggles into his arms, but he can feel the distance as if she was on the other side of the bed, the house, the village, the _country_. Her body is there with him, surely, but her mind is wherever Sasuke is. "Goodnight, Sakura-chan," he said, after he felt her breathing even out.

"Night, Lee," he pretends she whispers sleepily and he closes his eyes and forces himself to relax back into the bed. What she really said was, "Night, Sasuke."

Rock Lee knows he is Sakura's substitution for Sasuke, but he hopes to one day be a more permanent replacement.


End file.
